Michael Bloomberg Announces Late Entry to Presidential Race
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
On Sunday, November 24, Michael Bloomberg formally announced his Democratic presidential campaign, joining an already crowded field of candidates. His announcement comes late in the election season, as he tries to stand out against several other Democrats who have been building their campaign for months now.
Bloomberg is one of the richest men in the world as the co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He is known for his billionaire status and his former position as mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013.
The former-Republican only became a Democrat last year, and is notably centrist, a contrast to the progressive ideals that have defined many of the other candidates thus far. He wants “the federal government to lead an ambitious agenda to accelerate the U.S. toward a clean energy economy,” according to his website, but does not back the Green New Deal, as many other candidates do. He also is in favor of expanding healthcare coverage for more Americans, but has not supported Medicare for All, another defining feature of many other platforms.
Much of his platform so far seems to be focused on proving that he is the one to win against President Donald Trump, saying, “I’m running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America.” The same sentiment is also a key selling point in his political advertisements, which he has utilized as his primary way of putting his name out there in the election.
Bloomberg’s money is playing a key role in his campaign. He has kicked off his presidential bid with a series of television and internet advertisements airing in key primary states, as reported by AP News. He plans to direct at least $150 million of his own money towards his campaign, over $130 million of which going towards ads. He will not be accepting any donations, and has vowed to not take a salary should he be elected.
Being a moderate and billionaire, Bloomberg has faced criticism from many of his progressive opponents. Because of his method of campaigning through notably expensive advertising, Senator and fellow candidate Bernie Sanders said at a campaign event in New Hampshire, “We do not believe that billionaires have the right to buy elections,” and has declared that Bloomberg is “not going to get very far in this election.”
In one of his ads, Bloomberg has vowed to create an America where “the wealthy will pay more in taxes, and the struggling middle class will get their fair share.” As recent tax laws have not done much to raise taxes for the ultra rich, there is a question of whether he would stick to this sentiment if elected, being that he is a multi-billionaire. With Sanders and others calling for a substantial increase in taxes for the rich, Bloomberg faces a lot of scrutiny from progressives.
While Bloomberg does provide a moderate viewpoint as a contrast to the several progressive candidates getting press coverage, he is far from the only moderate candidate, and has struggled to make waves in the election. In a poll from Monmouth University, significantly more people considered Bloomberg to be unfavorable- 54 percent, compared to 26 percent of people who found him favorable. In the same poll, only 5 percent of people supported him for the Democratic nomination. Despite the buzz he got when he first announced his candidacy, he has quickly gotten lost is the sea of Democratic candidates.
This is because he lacks many new platforms. All candidates have promised to enact legislation to help climate change. Several have also gone outside of the Medical for All platform to advocate for healthcare for those who need it and to let those who like theirs keep their current coverage. Most advocate for gun reform, affordable housing, and making college more accessible. In such a crowded election field, Bloomberg has not made himself unique for voters, and has become another face in the crowd, as shown by the polls.
